Text
Year 1 and 2 sequences are suitable Grammar Focus in the
for both year groups unless otherwise sequence
stated in brackets
Non-Fiction
Dino Dinners by Manning and
Granstrom
Past and present tense
Punctuation
A dual text book using a poetic and
informative voice, laid out in a particular way.
Children can write about any large group of
animals or objects.
Now you Know Science: Hot and
Cold
(other titles in series: Bright Light,
Move it!, It’s Electric, What’s it Made
of?, Magnet Magic)
Simple sentences
Simple subordination
Questions
Tense: simple present and
present progressive
Labels and captions
How to dress up as a book
character
Expanded noun ophrases,
different forms of sentences,
present tense, apostrophes,
adverbs and prepositions for time
This set of instructions would be great to use
around world book day when children come
into school dressed up. You could also use
them with any topic where the children need
to make a costume such as an assembly or
school play or after an author study.
Instructions included with the sequence
New September 2015
How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth
by Robinson and Hindley
Verbs
Punctuation
This is an imaginary set of instructions that
are quite sparse but leave lots of room for
children to write the parts that are not
included. Funny.
Knights from the Leapfrog Learners
series for Yr1
Simple sentences
Capital letters, full stops and
finger spaces
Penguins by Emily Bone – Yr2
Complex sentences
Verbs – past and present
You could also teach simple
sentences through this book
although this has not been
included in the sequence
A simple non-chronological text to develop
sentences and their punctuation.
Reptiles by Angela Royston from the
Animal Classifications series
New September 2015
This is a simple non-chronological text about
reptiles that will allow children to write about
any large group of animals, toys, cars etc.
Conjunctions
Verbs
Noun phrases
Transport (non-chron)
A non-chronological text with a range of
features and presentation that children can
choose to use in their own writing. The series
also covers rivers, homes, school, seaside
and shops. It would make a great text to
write after a geographical study.
Punctuating sentences
Presentation and layout
Poetry
A First Poetry Book by Corbett and Expanded noun phrases, rhyme,
Morgan
rhythm, simile and alliteration
This book is a collection of poems that will
delight everyone. The sequence focuses on
a range of the poems. In this sequence you
can choose one of three elements to focus
on: similes and alliteration; language or word
choice and rhyme.
New September 2015
On the Road by Susan Stegall
(poetry)
FS/Yr1
Punctuation
Tell Me a Dragon by Jackie Morris
(poetry)
Noun phrases
Train Ride (poetry)
Yr1
Beginning to punctuate
What I Like! Poems for the very
young by Gervaise Phinn. Poetry
Fiction
Dear Mother Goose by Michael
Rosen Yr1
Range of punctuation in
sentences
A series of short letters from characters in
fairy tales/traditional stories. Very good for
the beginning of the year if children are
familiar with the stories.
Don’t Spill the Milk by Stephen
Davies and Christopher Corr for Yr1
A journey story about a little girl carrying milk
to her father out in the fields watching the
goats. A very similar plot to Handa’s Surprise
and Fatou, Fetch the Water.
Fatou, Fetch the Water by Neil
Griffiths
See above but with more detail and a slightly
more patterned text. We have seen
wonderful writing based on this text.
It’s My Birthday by Helen Oxenbury
Yr1
Capital letters, full stops,
exclamation marks
Using ‘and’ to join clauses
Questions and question marks
Commas in lists
Joining with ‘and’
Using ‘and’, punctuating
sentences
An interesting way of using instructions to
create a birthday cake. Use this to create
food for any celebratory occasion.
Knock, Knock Open the Door by
Michaela Morgan
FS/Yr1
Punctuating sentences using full
stops, question marks and
exclamation marks, using and to
join sentences
Lord of the Forest by Caroline
Pitcher Yr2/3
Speech, identification of verbs
and verb choice, noun phrases
and prepositional phrases
This is a highly patterned text at word,
sentence and text level. It is a great text to
use where children need to mirror the text
structure closely. There is much to magpie in
the language.
Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb Yr1
A wonderful story about a child who won’t
eat her food. The sequence focuses on small
changes such as changing the animals, but
the whole story could be changed to focus
on a child who doesn’t want to tidy up her
toys or help with the washing up etc.
Using a range of punctuation,
Questions
Speech
No-Bot, the Robot with no Bottom
by Sue Hendra
Range of punctuation and
sentence forms
A very funny story about a robot losing his
bottom with an ending where he loses his
arm. The book invites the reader to create
their own story around this event.
Oi Frog by Kes Grey for Yr1
This book is based on simple rhyme which is
ideal for children in the early part of Yr1. The
cat can sit on a mat. A frog can squat on a
log. A good way of continuing phase 1 of
Letters and Sounds whilst developing
phonics knowledge.
Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona
Roberton (Yr2)
Securing understanding of a
sentence, questions and rhyme
Expanded noun phrases,
commas in lists, speech
A lovely book set out in short chapters about
a child who wants a pet. This is an ideal text
to use when you want Yr2 children to
produce an extended piece of writing. The
story does include adverts.
Previously by Allan Ahlberg
Yr2
Verbs, noun phrases, varying
verb form
Writing stories backwards!
Splat Says Thank You by Rob
Scotton Yr2/3
Speech and subordination using
when
A slightly longer picture book about Splat
who wants to say thank you to his best
friend.
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
A very funny cumulative story where a kite
gets stuck in the tree and then other things
are thrown up to try and release it. A good
text to use to teach structure.
The Sand Horse by Ann Turnbull
Yr1written by a Yr1 teacher from
Exminster Primary School
Buy online as it is an older title.
Capital letters, full stops,
exclamation marks, past tense,
complex sentences
The Woods by Paul Hoppe Yr1
A journey story into the woods and meeting
creatures who join in. A good structure and
introduction to simple noun phrases.
What happens when…? By
Delphine Chedrun
Adjectives, noun phrases ,
starting sentences in different
ways
Questions and question marks,
series of sentences
This book has questions and then a double
page spread illustration to answer the
question, e.g. where do all the odd socks
go? Children can use the illustration to
answer the questions and can also create
their own question and answer.
Augustus and his Smile by
Catherine Rayner
A finding story where Augustus goes looking
for his smile and guess what? It is right there
under his nose! A good story for structure
and language.
The Disgusting Sandwich by
Gareth Edwards
Using the conjunction ‘but’
Expanding noun phrases
Alliteration
Speech
Expanded noun phrases
This story has a repetitive pattern as the
middle so an excellent text to focus on
structure.
The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex
Latimer
Speech
Expanded noun phrases
A very funny book which is really an
adaptation (invent!) of The Boy Who Cried
Wolf. Children can be really inventive with
their excuses.
The Dragon Machine by Helen Ward
Yr2
Past tense, noun phrases, verbs
What do you do with a tail like this?
By Steve Jenkins
(non-chron)
Subordination, questions and
question marks, punctuating
sentences
Questions and answers using the ‘If’
construction.